"Draco! I need your assistance in my office - now!"

He had just been about to descend down the stairs to the dungeons, when Umbridge had bustled towards him, her face full of fury about something.

He hurried after her, wondering what was going on. Something exciting, he hoped.

What he didn't expect to see once they had arrived at her office, however, was Potter's arse sticking out from the fireplace.

As he looked to his right, he saw that Millicent Bulstrode had the Mudblood pinned up against the wall, practically choking her.

Umbridge grabbed Potter and hauled him to his feet as he spluttered and choked from the ashes. Draco couldn't help but smirk at the patheticness of it all.

"Take his wand!" She barked at Draco as she furiously clung to Potter's hair, making him grimace in pain. "Hers, too."

Draco stepped across the room and removed Potter's wand from his chest pocket, before swiftly moving back to grab the Mudblood's, too.

"I want to know why you are in my office," Umbridge snarled, shaking Potter angrily.

"I was - trying to get my Firebolt!" Potter croaked.

"Liar!" Umbridge screamed, and threw him from her so that he sprawled across the desk.

Draco had just taken a seat on the windowsill to watch the show from, as he idly tossed Potter's wand in the air - when a loud commotion came from outside.

The door banged open and the rest of the Inquisitorial Squad barged in, each roughly dragging in with them a gagged student who had obviously been caught helping Potter.

Including Aurora.

Draco's stomach plummeted as the smirk left his face. Pansy was viciously dragging her into the room as Aurora struggled and strained against her, angry tears falling down her cheeks into her gag.

He barely took notice who the others were manhandling as he jumped up and strode immediately across the room, his eyes only on Aurora.

Her startled eyes fell on him and Draco felt his heart twist at the fear and pain in them as Pansy cruelly dug her fingernails into her skin, her hands clearly twisting and pinching her arms with all her effort.

"Give her to me." He hissed at Pansy, quietly so that Umbridge wouldn't hear. She was seemingly too busy laying into Potter to notice, though - threatening to torture him if he didn't explain what he was doing.

Pansy, however just grinned manically up at him, refusing to release her violent grip on Aurora.

Seeing red, Draco reached out and tried desperately to prise Pansy's fingers off of her arms, but she had a surprisingly firm grip.

"What's going on over there?" Umbridge barked, suddenly noticing the tussle. "Draco?"

"Pansy's not following orders, Professor," Draco said immediately, knowing that Umbridge would take his side over hers.

"Miss Parkinson, I don't have time for this." Umbridge sighed in annoyance. "Do what Draco says or get out."

Sneering, Pansy thrust Aurora at Draco, and he felt relief flood him as her body fell against his.

His arms flew up, immediately steadying her. He was careful not to grip her too hard so that she knew he had no intention of hurting her.

She looked up into his face, her eyes searching his quizzically. He was relieved to see she didn't look afraid anymore, but he wished he could take off that brutal gag which looked as though it was slicing painfully into her cheeks.

His hands on her upper arms, Draco quickly steered her away slightly from the others, his heart racing, as he tried desperately to think what to do next.

He couldn't be seen helping her, but at the same time, he was fearful what Umbridge would do to her if he didn't get her out of there right now.

There was a moment when Draco thought they would be saved by Snape, but after Potter started shouting some nonsense at him, Snape quickly departed seeming bored by it all.

But then as luck would have it, the Mudblood had started going on about some weapon hidden in the Forbidden Forest and it seemed to be getting Umbridge rather excited.

"Lead me to the weapon," she barked, her eyes bulging with excitement.

She left with Potter and the Mudblood; leaving strict orders with Draco to make sure that none of the others escape.

He waited until the door was firmly shut behind her before he let out a sigh of relief.

*****

Draco wrenched the gag off of me immediately.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Pansy screeched across at him. "We're supposed to keep them here as they are!"

"Shut the fuck up, Pansy," Draco snarled, before turning his attention back to me, his features softening immediately as his eyes searched my face with worry.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, his hands still on my upper arms.

I shook my head, bringing a hand up to tentatively touch my cheek where the gag had been painfully biting into my flesh. "No," I said shakily, "just a bit sore."

"Shit," Draco muttered, letting go of me and looking around the room as if trying to work out what to do next.

Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna were each being held roughly by the other Slytherins. All four of them still gagged with their hands pinned behind their backs.

I felt panicked. I had no idea what Hermione's plan had been, and I know we needed to get to them as soon as possible.

This was not looking good for Sirius.

I just had to pray that Draco still loved me enough to let me go.

"You better not be thinking of letting her go," Pansy sneered, carefully removing her wand as she eyed Draco suspiciously. "She's the enemy now, Draco - not your fuck buddy anymore - remember?"

"Just shut it!" Draco spat, his cheeks rising in colour as he stared furiously at her.

"Please," I begged quietly, "Draco, please let us go. It's important."

He turned back to me, his eyes full of conflict. "Aurora, I-"

And then suddenly, as if he just had a brainwave, his eyes dropped to the two wands in his hands - Harry and Hermione's wands. He lifted his face, his eyes flashing as they met mine.

He reached out and pulled me close to him, and I felt him slip the wands covertly into my hand. He then leant down and whispered ever so softly in my ear so that no one else could hear.

"Hex me."

My heart pounded in my chest as I tried not to show the shock on my face.

He was saving me. His was giving us all a way out.

I nodded my head ever so slightly, thanking him with my eyes.

And then I flicked the wands.